Liquid separating apparatus



March 21, 1944.

J; P. RATHBUN LIQUID SEPARATING APPARATUS Origiriai Filed June 12, 1941INVENTOR JOHN F. RRTHBUN.

Q'JELM TORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1944 LIQUID SEPARATING APPARATUS John P.Rathbun, Prospect Park, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric &Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Original application June 12, 1941, Serial No. 397,747.Divided and this application August 31, 1943, Serial No. 500,614

1 Claim. (01. 183 -84) This invention relates to separating apparatus,more particularly to separators adapted to remove liquid from a gaseousfluid, and has for an object the provision of improved apparatus of thischaracter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a two-stageseparator so arranged that the amount of separation occurring in eachstage thereof may be controlled.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will beapparent from the following description and claim taken in accordancewith the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line I-I of Fig. 2,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig.1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, there is shown, at It, atwo-stage separator adapted for use with various types of apparatus, forexample, an evaporator H, the separator being positioned adjacent thetop of the evaporator, as shown in Fig. 1. The separator [0 comprises anouter casing, defined by top and bottom walls 12 and I3, respectively,joined by an annular side wall M. This casing may be secured to theapparatus with which it is used, in this case the shell of theevaporator H, by suitable means, for example, the members IS.

The interior of the casing is divided into first and second stages A andB, respectively, by an inner annular member I 1 extending from the topwall l2 to the bottom wall I3. Preferably, the outer annular wall l4 andthe inner annular member I! are concentrically disposed, and both arecorrugated with the ribs and grooves thereof extending vertically.

A horizontal partition 20 divides the first stage A into an upperseparating space 2| and a lower liquid collection space 22, the twospaces communicating at the outer edge of the partition, at 23. In likemanner, a horizontal partition 24 divides the second stage B into anupper separating space 25 and a lower liquid collection space 26,communicating at the outer edge of the partition, at 21. The spaces 22and 26 are provided with liquid discharge openings 3| and 32,respectively.

Passages 35 are provided for the flow of fluid to the first stage A ofthe separator and are defined by vertical side wall members 36 andbottom members 38, the tops of the passages being defined by the topwall l2 of the separator casing.

Preferably, these passages are so arranged that the fluid passingtherethrough enters the space A substantially tangential to thecorrugated annular member I4.

In like manner, passages 40 are provided for the flow of fluid from thefirst stage A to the second stage B, these passages being defined byvertical side wall members 4 l bottom members 43 and the top wall l2 ofthe separator casing. Preferably, these passages 40 likewise provide fortangential entry of fluid to the second stage B.

Tangential entry of the fluid to the various stages of the separatorprovides for circular or spiral flow of fluid through the apparatus. Tofurther this objective, there is provided at the center of the secondstage B a concentrically disposed structure comprising an annular wall45, closed at its top by suitable means, such as the plate 46. An outlet41 is provided from the top of the second stage B to the exterior of theseparator.

In operation, fluid, for example steam, containing particles of liquid'passes through the openings 35 into the first stage A of the separator,where it passes circumferentially or spirally along the inner surface ofthe corrugated member I 4, with the result that centrifugal force causesthe particles of moisture or liquid carried thereby to be thrownradially outwardly into the grooves provided by the corrugations, theliquid passing downwardly in the space 23 to the collection space 22,and the steam continuing through the openings 40 to the second stage Bof the separator, where the separating action is repeated as the steampasses spirally or circumferentially along the inner surface of thecorrugated annular member H. The moisture, thrown by centrifugal forceout of the stream of fluid into the grooves, flows downwardly throughthe space 21 to the collection chamber 26, the fluid from which theliquid has been removed exhausting through the discharge opening 41. Itwill be noted that the construction assures that steam passing throughthe second stage B is drawn from the innermost portion of the firststage A, where the liquid content of the steam is lowest. Thus thedriest possible steam is discharged from the separator.

While under some conditions it may be satisfactory to have the twoliquid collection chambers 22 and 26 in communication, or formed as asingle chamber with a single outlet, it is frequently preferable to makeuse of the separated construction herein illustrated and to provideindependent exhaust conduits 48 and 43 for the discharge openings 3| and32, respectively. In this arrangement, the conduits 48 and 49 areprovided with valves 50 and 5|, respectively, whereby the flow of liquidand/or gas therethrough may be regulated. With such an. arrangement, andwith the conduits 48 and 4l9 in communication with a 'region of lowerpressure than that existing within the separator, the relative amountsof separation performed by each stage of the separator may becontrolled, thereby obtaining maximum efiiciency of the separator as awhole.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various changes and, modifications without departing fromthe spirit thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only suchlimitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth inthe appended claim. 7

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No.397,747, filed June 12, 1941.

What is claimed is:

A separator for removing liquid from a gaseous fluid; comprising top andbottom walls joined by an annular side wall; horizontal baffle structuredividing the space enclosed by said walls into an upper separating spaceand a lower liquid collection space; a liquid outlet from saidcollection space at the bottom thereof; a fluid outlet from theseparation space through the top wall adjacent the center thereof andspaced radially inward a material distance from said annular side wall;and means for delivering gaseous fluid to the separation space with awhirling movement, the annular side wall serving to direct and maintainthe whirling movement of the fluid and having its inner surfacecorrugated to provide recesses extending generally transversely to thedirection of fluid flow therepast, whereby liquid may be thrown out ofthe whirling fluid by centrifugal action to flow down said recesses tothe collection space.

JOHN P. RATHBUN.

